10100 Santa Monica Boulevard
Suite 2200
Los Angeles, CA
90067
 310.282.2228
 310.919.3825
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Albert
M.
Cohen
Partner
Albert Cohen specializes in environmental law. He has more than 30 years of experience handling complex environmental cases, regulatory matters and transactions involving soil and groundwater contamination, hazardous waste, CEQA, Proposition 65, RoHS2, REACH, water law and other aspects of environmental law.
Prior Work Experience
Between 1977 and 1987, Mr. Cohen practiced law with the U.S. government in Washington, DC. He handled environmental enforcement matters in areas involving land, water and air pollution, as well as occupational health and safety. He served as lead counsel for the Department of Justice in the Love Canal litigation, developing key legal theories that became linchpins in the enforcement of federal hazardous waste law. He also handled a series of major asbestos suits brought against the United States. In addition, Mr. Cohen served as in-house environmental counsel at Northrop Corporation.
Since entering private practice , he has handled numerous substantial matters in areas such as Superfund, private cost recovery, environmental impact analysis, regulatory takings, water law and environmental compliance.
For many years, Mr. Cohen represented Cadillac Fairview Corporation, Prentiss Copley Investment Group, Prentiss Properties Trust and PacTrust with regard to environmental issues associated with the Del Amo Superfund site in Los Angeles, California. He successfully challenged the site's listing as a federal Superfund site and handled environmental issues associated with the financing and sale of properties located at and around the Del Amo site.
He successfully represented the county of Los Angeles and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in NEPA/CEQA litigation that was brought to halt construction of the MTA's red line through the Hollywood Hills.
In 1999, he brought suit against the county of Santa Barbara for its handling of hazardous wastes at the Ballard Canyon landfill. The case was resolved, with the county paying the largest settlement in its history to Mr. Cohen's clients.
He has handled numerous private cost recovery actions and environmental and toxic tort cases. He represented more than 200 parties that sent wastes to the Casmalia disposal site in Santa Barbara County, California, and successfully negotiated a settlement with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that greatly reduced their liability and potential future exposure. He then served as coordinating counsel for a group of about 30 other major parties at the site and developed an approach to negotiations that resulted in a favorable settlement with the EPA. He represented more than 70 de minimis parties at the Omega Superfund site in Whittier, California, and a similar number at the Operating Industries Inc. (OII) site in Monterey Park, California. He has assisted numerous clients in obtaining insurance coverage for environmental claims. He currently serves as counsel to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. with regard to alleged liabilities associated with the BKK Landfill in West Covina, California.
Mr. Cohen has represented clients in various regulatory matters involving the EPA, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control Board, local air districts and Regional Water Quality Control Boards. He has also represented clients in major water law disputes involving the Central Valley Project, the Bureau of Reclamation and the Westlands Water District.
In addition, Mr. Cohen provides counseling and legal representation regarding environmental due diligence in corporate and real estate transactions and in regulatory matters involving consumer products, including with regard to California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxics Enforcement Act (“Proposition 65”), the federal Consumer Product Safety Act, the Federal Trade Commission Act, and European Union regulations applicable to electrical and electronic equipment and hazardous chemicals.
Publications/Speeches
- Author, Sustainability Claims Warrant Extra Caution, Los Angeles Daily Journal (February 28, 2013)
- Author, Marketing “Sustainability”: Don't Forget the Green Guides, Sustainable Brands (February 21, 2013)
- Speaker, CERCLA Settlements and PRP Intervention (April 12, 2011)
- Speaker, CERCLA Settlements and PRP Intervention (July 20, 2010)
- Co-author, The Floodgates are Opening: Three Branches of U.S. Government Address Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Willis Environmental Risk Newsletter (November 2009)
- Speaker, Joint and Several Liability and Arranger Liability Under CERCLA (June 17, 2009)
- Author, Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway Co. et al. v. United States, Toxic Law Reporter (June 2009)
- Speaker, Federal Brownfields Update - Where Are We? Where Are We Headed? (September 21, 2007)
Media Mentions
Distinctions
- Named in "Southern California Super Lawyers" in Environmental Litigation, a Thomson Reuters business (2009-2013)
- Highest "AV Preeminent (5 out of 5)" Professional Rating, Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory
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Harvard School of Public Health, M.P.H., 1982
Boston University School of Law, J.D., 1977
Columbia University, B.A., 1974, cum laude with Honors
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
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